Scared_Ad_4997's journey

I recently faced a tough situation after working six months unpaid at an early-stage real estate startup founded by a fellow UMass Amherst alum. I joined as a data engineering intern while on OPT, excited about the potential of the company’s AI/CRM product. Two months in, the founder expressed his intention to hire me full-time, which led me to continue working unpaid after my internship ended, trusting his assurances. As time went on, the timeline for a paid role kept shifting. By late October, I was informed that full-time positions might not materialize until the next year, which was disheartening. My colleague and I, who had invested so much time and effort, requested at least part-time paid roles to manage our basic expenses. The founder seemed understanding and promised to arrange part-time pay, but just ten days later, we were both let go. This experience has been particularly challenging as I have limited time left on my OPT unemployment clock. I’m worried about the hiring slowdown during the holiday season and how it might affect my job search. With three years of experience in data engineering and analytics, I’m now urgently looking for new opportunities where I can leverage my skills in building data infrastructure and analyzing complex datasets. If anyone has advice, job leads, or referrals, I would greatly appreciate your help. I'm feeling overwhelmed and scared about my next steps, and any support would mean a lot to me right now.